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3d ago

Supreme Court to Review Aravalli Definition in Suo Motu Hearing on Monday

The bench will consider objections to the court-approved scientific criteria alongside temporary curbs on new mining leases.

The Aravalli hills act as a vast, fractured rock sponge that captures monsoon rain and recharges groundwater aquifers. (HT Archive)
A joint check, experts argued, will not meet these standards, impinge on each department’s autonomy and will water down a crucial process baked into law to safeguard forests and green spaces. (HT Photo)
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An aerial view of Aravalli Range as the Supreme Court of India takes suo motu cognisance of matter over Aravalli Hills and a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant will hear the matter on December 29, on Sunday.

Overview

  • An urgent three-judge vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, with Justices J. K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, will hear the case on December 29.
  • The matter is registered as “In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.”
  • The November 20 order adopted a uniform definition across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, classifying an Aravalli hill as a landform rising at least 100 metres above local relief and a range as two or more such hills within 500 metres.
  • The court barred fresh mining leases until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is finalised by the environment ministry with ICFRE, prohibited mining in core or inviolate areas with limited exceptions, and directed mapping of conservation and mining zones.
  • The judgment framed the Aravallis as a vital “green barrier” against desert expansion and a biodiversity hotspot, and the interim curbs remain in place pending expert reports.